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Commission flags paratransit shortfalls; suggests second shift and better data collection
Summary
Commissioners reported town rides appear to fulfill only about half of requests; they asked staff to collect data on denied requests, and discussed adding part‑time drivers or a second shift to increase service availability.
At the May 15 meeting members reviewed town transportation data and raised concerns that the available spreadsheet reflects only successful trips and may not capture denied or unfulfilled ride requests. Several regular users described about a 50% success rate when booking town van service, and said service constraints (hours, vehicle and staffing limits) often prevent trips, especially late afternoons.
"It's probably 50/50 … the times where I don't get a ride clearly I don't think that's reflected in the numbers," one member said, asking whether the reporting tool can capture denied requests.
Members suggested a set of operational fixes: better tracking of denied calls, hiring more part‑time drivers, establishing a second shift or extending hours into the early evening, and exploring using the senior tax work‑off program for driver labor. The Commission agreed Eric will follow up with Liz (transportation reporting) to request additional data points and that the town should evaluate resource options to raise fulfillment rates.
